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Responsive	By : jessara40k Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 777 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Responsive
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-Note
- 7
- 8
- 9
Cloud knew that he had to sleep in his barracks that night,
but he wasn�t sure how to tell Sephiroth that. On the other hand it had been
Sephiroth who suggested he spend a couple of nights there, so he should be
understanding. Cloud still had something to keep him occupied, he needed to
either have a materia slotted or in contact with his skin to use it at the
moment, and the Speed Plus couldn�t really be used slotted until he got it to
first level, or while simply held in his hand. So he�d gotten some cloth,
thread and needles, and now he was trying to make a sort of bag that would fit
against his wrist, with an opening there large enough to allow the materia to
rest against his skin and small enough that it wouldn�t fall out. Cloud wanted
the cloth to be almost stretched over the materia, so that the buttons wouldn�t
slip open, and he planned to back that up by adding ties that would fit across
the opening he�d be putting the materia into the bag through. He didn�t expect
to get it right the first time, but he was going to make it as secure as
possible, and start creating a second bag immediately afterwards. His Speed
Plus had improved anyway during the monster hunting, the unstable power levels
seeming to come closer to being stable, and a few more forming, like wisps of
mist coming together to form those clouds you found in layers. It shouldn�t
take more than the morning to do his errands in Midgar, then he could find
somewhere deserted and spend the afternoon working with the Speed Plus materia,
until he could actually use the undefined energy levels.

�Should I ask, Cloud?� Cloud had been so focused on what he
was doing that he hadn�t even noticed Sephiroth arrive.

�I can only use a materia that isn�t in contact with my skin
if it�s slotted, and that doesn�t help me learn to use the unstable energy
levels. Can you use an unslotted materia from a distance? If you can I�d
love to learn how.�

�I...no, I can�t.� Sephiroth shook his head and came to sit
beside Cloud, hesitating, then leaning against him. �I never told you about
exactly why I had to use an Earth materia unslotted, but...we ran up against a
sort of guardian creature, the Wutaians killed all of my command while I was
focused on facing it, but it still almost killed me, and for some reason they
decided to take me prisoner when I was wounded badly enough to lose
consciousness. I�m not sure, but I think I killed that thing as well. They had
taken all my weapons away from me, and when I was next aware I was trapped,
bound down so that they could interrogate me. I broke the bonds when he
started, and managed to grab the Earth materia from one of the interrogator�s
bracers as he fled, but I was still injured, so I hid under the table and
brought the building down around me.� Cloud didn�t need to hear anything more
he reached up and pulled his lover into a kiss, slowly tasting Sephiroth�s
mouth. That meant he didn�t know how to use an unslotted materia without skin
contact, probably not even how to use an unslotted materia without holding it,
but that didn�t matter, not beside the pain Cloud had to have stirred up with
his question.

�I didn�t mean to stir up any bad memories.�

�You didn�t. The interrogator didn�t even have a chance to
hurt me, just asked a question, I panicked because he triggered a
flashback.� Sephiroth shrugged gracefully. �I didn�t even have any trouble when
I got back to my camp, apparently my superiors had been told that my loyalty
was not to be questioned, although there were some questions from my peers.� He
bit his lip, looking cute and uncertain, Cloud wondered absently if he knew
what effects his mannerisms had, or if it was something he did unconsciously
when he was relaxed. �So, you�re working on a way to hold your materia in
contact with your skin without actually holding it in your hand?�

�Yeah, pretty much. If you�d known a way to use an unslotted
materia without holding it I�d have asked you to teach me when you had the
chance, but...�

�I�ll teach you whatever I can but, truthfully, I
think your instincts are good enough that you won�t need much in the way of
teaching. Oh, and I got the books you were asking about, yesterday. I�ll show
you where I put them now if you want.�

�Just tell me which shelf to look on. I can probably find it
myself, while you�re working tomorrow.� Since if he managed to pull anything
useful from the Speed Plus materia he planned to try and apply that to the Ice materia,
and he was pretty certain that would exhaust him pretty quickly.

�At the right end of the shelf above the desk in my bedroom.
They�re sorted in order from the least technical to the most.� Sephiroth tilted
his head, hair falling over his shoulder and against Cloud�s face. �Do you mind
the deal I made with Zack, about teaching whoever he sponsors this time to use
materia better in exchange for him taking you out monster hunting? For that
matter how did your hunt today go?�

�Of course I don�t mind the deal. I know you don�t get a
chance to go out hunting by yourself often enough to waste it taking care of
me. And the hunt with Zack was lots of fun, even if I think I scared my friends
a bit. By the way, he took us out to eat afterwards and I found that my class
mates think I�ve got a girl, so you can expect him to tease you about that.�

�When he drags me out drinking tomorrow, I know. Will you be
in any condition to come with us? I�d like company that isn�t intent on getting
me drunk, or drawn to my reputation.�

�Sure, and since I�m just a normal human can I count on you
to get me home safely?� Cloud smiled up at his lover, batting his eyes in an exaggeratedly
feminine gesture, stopping as soon as he realised he was making his lover
uncomfortable. �I won�t be able to sleep here tonight, so let�s enjoy the time
we have now.� And he kissed Sephiroth deeply, asserting his control with that
simple action. He knew he�d succeeded in calming Sephiroth when he felt his
lover�s body relax against him. �Go get undressed and clean yourself up.� He
pushed Sephiroth away from him, slapping his ass just hard enough to make a
sound. Cloud wasn�t sure what he wanted to do that night, but for once he didn�t
really care about what Sephiroth wanted, or would enjoy, and he was feeling a
bit lazy as well.

Sephiroth didn�t say anything when he got back from the bathroom,
he just stood waiting, eyes cast down, and something in his expression made
Cloud realise that in some ways he was caught in an eternal adolescence, at
least physically. Or he looked oddly adolescent at least, with the only hair on
his body at his groin and under his arms, and that uncertainty on his face
despite his height and muscle.

�Come and undress me, slowly.� Cloud leaned back on the
couch, giving Sephiroth the minimum of co-operation he needed to do as Cloud
had commanded, then snatching at his neck to kiss him. �Go get the oil I use on
you.�

Sephiroth obeyed silently, holding it out for Cloud almost
expectantly. Cloud took it, and grabbed hold of his wrist, yanking him down to
sit beside Cloud on the couch, then tangled a hand in his hair, pulling
Sephiroth�s mouth to his nipple. And Sephiroth only needed one hand to
support himself, if that, so Cloud reached for the other hand, placing it on
his cock.

�Suck my nipples, and stroke me, just don�t make me come
yet.� While Sephiroth obeyed his casual order Cloud opened the jar of oil,
coating two fingers in it, and shoving them both inside his lover. Later he
might feel guilty for doing this to Sephiroth, but...he knew his lover was
strong enough to stop him if he wanted, and he didn�t even make a sound in
protest. He increased the number of fingers quicker than he usually would, then
paused, three fingers still hooked in Sephiroth�s ass, he wasn�t planning to
slick himself properly, so perhaps he should...no, this would do. He yanked
Sephiroth�s head back away from his body by the hair.

�Enough! Get down on your knees and suck me. Do it well,
because I won�t be using any more oil.� Unless Sephiroth actually asked
for some more oil, but Cloud didn�t think he would, especially not with the
little shiver of excitement he made at that declaration. He knew better than to
let Sephiroth suck him for too long, just long enough for him to cover Cloud�s
cock in a glistening mix of saliva and precum.

�Good, now get up here and ride me.� Cloud slid a bit
further forward on the couch to make that easier for his lover, and Sephiroth
obeyed, silently coming to straddle his hips, and reaching behind himself as he
settled down, guiding Cloud into himself, making a quiet sound almost of pain,
almost, but not quite, and looking like he didn�t know what to do with his
hands. Cloud didn�t need to give him any further instructions on how to please
Cloud though, because he began moving on top of Cloud, slowly at first, but
picking up pace quickly.

�Use one hand to play with your nipples, and jerk off with
the other.� Cloud didn�t expect Sephiroth to be the one who came first, but he
supposed it was a good thing he did, even if it did mean he had to keep riding
Cloud without his own pleasure to distract him, because in his mood he wouldn�t
have bothered doing anything else for him.

�Are you okay?� Cloud stroked Sephiroth�s face as he asked
the question.

�Oh, yes. Th-thank you Cloud. That was...incredible.� And
Sephiroth wasn�t bleeding, so Cloud had to accept that his lover had adored the
way he�d been treated.

o0()0o

When he�d mentioned that he needed to get some new clothes
Alex and Marius had both insisted on coming with him after they�d all opened
their new accounts, with the Midgar-Kennedy Bank. Marius had kept him from
getting any extra money from the quartermaster�s by explaining that he already
had more cash than the banks would accept at one time, so he wouldn�t have been
able to deposit it all today anyway. He�d ended up getting three different
outfits, all good enough to wear to a restaurant like the one they�d been to
last night, and all things he could mix and match. When he�d tired himself out
by pulling a spell that shouldn�t be possible from the Ice materia - not
creating ice like the standard spells did, but projecting a field of absolute
cold - he�d picked up one of his new outfits and made his way to Sephiroth�s
quarters.

The basic text on creating materia slots didn�t have the
sort of detail he�d need to create his own, let alone modify the normal slots
to let other people see the unstable energy levels, but it was a good overview,
and a good way of getting the theory behind the technology in general. A simple
guide to creating the slots wouldn�t have given him that after all. He took the
book with him to the canteen, but put it aside when Kyu and Lavan came to join
him.

�You�re not still studying are you?� Lavan sounded
horrified at the very thought. �Alex and Marius already told us how you�ve been
getting on at them to train with you.�

�Did they tell you it was for their sake? We might be in the
same company, but I doubt we�ll be in the same squad, perhaps not even in the
same platoon. And they�ll need to be able to manage against much more
experienced soldiers.� Cloud shook his head. �I can, I think I�ve proven that,
but they can�t, not yet and they aren�t willing to work to make up for that.
Neither of them are as aggressive about training as I am. And one of them�s
going to be sponsored by Brigadier Knight, the first regular he has sponsored,
just like I�m the first regular Sephiroth�s sponsored, so they have to be able
to live up to that.� It worried Cloud. At least it could be argued that
Sephiroth was obliged to sponsor him, and even if it did give him
something to live up to, that wasn�t the same as a SOLDIER 1st seeking him out
to sponsor, which is what Zack�s involvement with Alex or Marius would look
like.

�They did say that the brigadier was considering sponsoring
one of them. And how unfair it was that only one of them could have the prize.�
Kyu�s voice sounded meditative, and he frowned as he considered the matter. �But
they also made it sound as if the General was leaning on him to do that, so he
could take you out monster hunting with whoever he was sponsoring. Perhaps if
that leaked it would make things easier for them?� But probably harder for
Cloud, people would be asking what was so special about him that the General
was willing to make his second sponsor a newly graduated regular. Still,
odds were he could handle it better than Marius or Alex could, he�d see what
Sephiroth and Zack said.

�Maybe, but it�s not my decision, I�ll mention it to Zack
and Sephiroth this evening.� And since all his class considered him as much
Zack�s pet project as the General�s they wouldn�t say anything about that, even
though he might have been a bit indiscrete. �Enough about me, have you two
decided where you�re going yet?�

�Yeah, I�m going for sniper school. I don�t think I could
deal with being an officer.� Kyu hadn�t decided yet, so Cloud managed to divert
the conversation into his options until he could leave.

Sephiroth wasn�t back yet, so Cloud took the opportunity to
shower alone - even if it would have been more fun with his lover they�d have
got distracted, they always did - and dressed in his new clothes; heavy black
pants and a dark purple sweater. Then he returned to focusing on the book he�d
been reading, since he�d managed to make the bag to hold his Speed Plus
yesterday, and it had worked, keeping the materia against his skin even when he
did the most vigorous sword kata he knew. And he�d been able to use the materia
to increase his speed enough to pull off a couple of moves he couldn�t normally
towards the end of his practice, so he knew he could use it even while he was
doing something else.

�Hello Sephiroth.� Cloud stood up and greeted his lover with
a kiss before pulling back, letting Sephiroth look his fill at him.

�I haven�t seen you wearing anything but a uniform before.�
He tilted his head to one side before continuing. �It looks good though.�

�Thanks. I figured you and Zack weren�t going to be in
uniform,� SOLDIERs didn�t need that to advertise their connection to ShinRa, it
was obvious even if they didn�t want it to be, and certainly Sephiroth
didn�t, �was I wrong?�

�It isn�t something I�d thought about.� Sephiroth frowned as
he answered the question. �But Zack doesn�t wear his uniform. Do you think it
would reduce how many people noticed me if I wore something different?�

�I don�t know, it would depend on how different. Do you have
anything different?� Now that he thought of it Cloud hadn�t seen his lover in
anything but his uniform or a robe.

�You can take a look in my wardrobe if you want. Pick out
whatever you think I should wear while I take a shower?� Sephiroth made it into
a question, not a request, with his faint blush and lowered eyes.

�If you trust my taste, sure.� He�d made a point of not
looking in his lover�s things too much, since he didn�t want to presume on
their intimacy.

�Why wouldn�t I?� Sephiroth looked surprised as he turned
and made his way to the bathroom. Cloud went to look for something Sephiroth
could wear. Sephiroth had almost as little in the way of civilian clothes as
Cloud did, but it was all very high quality mostly leather, with silk as the
only other material. He found a pair of dark green leather pants with a
matching leather vest. It shouldn�t bother Sephiroth, since he knew his lover
was used to wearing far less than that, with the harness he usually wore, and
it would be easy enough to separate his shoulder plates from his usual black
coat. Sephiroth didn�t say anything about Cloud�s decision, just dressing in
his choice of clothes without comment. Then they began working on their current
jigsaw while they waited for Zack.

�You two play with jigsaws like children?� Sephiroth
flinched ever so slightly at Zack�s mocking tone, and Cloud knew he wouldn�t be
able to banter back at the SOLDIER, he�d just been hit in a sensitive spot.

�Just because you�re too hyper to pay the sort of attention
needed to enjoy this sort of thing�s no reason to try and spoil it for us Zack.�
Sephiroth smiled to hear Cloud say that and stood, reaching down to help Cloud
up.

�Never seen you out of uniform before Sephiroth. Looks good
on you.� Zack gave Sephiroth an appreciative once over, even though they all
knew he was straight. �The kid tell you his classmates think he�s got a girl?�

�Good cover for us don�t you think? Unless you�re saying I look
like a girl?� Cloud loved the hint of danger in the General�s voice as he asked
that question.

�No, of course not Sephiroth. I just hadn�t thought of it
that way.� Zack was stammering as he hastily backtracked, and Cloud resisted
the urge to laugh at that. Instead he came up with a practical question, since
he�d be the one who had to pull the deception off. Not that he disapproved of
the idea, Sephiroth hadn�t realised how dangerous letting their relationship be
known could be and Cloud had been the one to insist on taking precautions from
the moment he realised they�d probably end up in bed together.

�So, you want me to play along with the idea that I�ve got a
girl. And what should I tell them when they ask about her? What she looks like,
how she acts, that sort of thing?�

�Partial truths of course. For instance you could mention
that my mother was involved in testing for the early stages of the SOLDIER project,
and that to some extent Mako eyes are hereditary.�

�They are?� Zack looked and sounded as surprised as Cloud
felt to hear that.

�Yes, and the daughters of SOLDIERs have brighter Mako eyes
than the sons, don�t ask me why. I think it�s got something to do with the
reason women are allowed into any part of the military except SOLDIER.� But
he wouldn�t have wanted to go into the details, Cloud could understand that, it
would have reminded him too much of his own origins. �Where did you think that
new Turk trainee, Reno, got his Mako eyes from? They aren�t bright
enough to have come from anything deliberate. But a daughter usually gets Mako
eyes almost as bright as her father�s.�

�There aren�t many children of SOLDIERs are there?� If there
had been Cloud was sure this would be more widely known.

�Not really. SOLDIERs tend to sire sons more than daughters,
and the sons usually try out for SOLDIER themselves when they get old enough,
and make it in most of the time, if they don�t get diverted to another group.
But we don�t get more than about one every three or four cadet groups, although
I think there�s a couple still in the filter units. I looked it up after Dr.
Hojo complained about how all the women he tried to have bear my children by
artificial insemination kept miscarrying - I thought perhaps it had something
to do with the level of enhancement I�ve got.�

�So I mightn�t be able to give my girl kids?� Zack�s
question could have sounded insensitive, but Cloud knew that the distraction
was what his lover needed, to keep from dwelling on how he was �a freak�.

�SOLDIER 1sts have sired children before, but all SOLDIERs
are less fertile than normal men. So you have to spend a lot of time trying,
that�s all.� Sephiroth smiled at Zack and pulled on his coat. �Shall we go
then?�

o0()0o

�You see why I don�t like doing this now don�t you Cloud?�
Sephiroth spoke quietly, leaning down to almost whisper in his ear as they
settled into the private room Zack had persuaded the bartender to open for them
after the tenth time they�d had to fend off one of Sephiroth�s rabid
fans in this bar alone. In the last three bars they�d left when the fans got
too annoying, but� after they were driven from the first bar Cloud had told
Zack they weren�t going to more than four bars, and Sephiroth had agreed with
him.

�Yes. How often does Zack bully you into doing this?�

�Hey! I don�t bully him. How could I?� Zack sounded outraged
at the idea, but Sephiroth had a very faint flush on his cheeks as he replied
to Cloud�s words.

�I wouldn�t call it bullying, but this is the fourth time we�ve
tried to go out drinking together.�

�And this has happened every time? Zack, perhaps you should
take a hint. Doing this doesn�t help him relax at all, it�s just another source
of stress, one he puts up with for the sake of your friendship.� Cloud knew he
was being cruel, from the distress he could see on Zack�s face, and the shame
in Sephiroth�s eyes, but...Zack needed to understand what he was doing to his
friend, and Sephiroth was too good at hiding his pain. Besides, Cloud knew that
bullying didn�t have to be physical to hurt, even if that was the only thing
his lover might recognise as bullying, emotional manipulation worked too, and
could hurt more. Like the way Tifa�d bullied him into promising to save
her if she ever needed it, or the way she kept him hanging onto her every word,
simply because she was the only person who paid any positive attention to him
other than his mother, so he�d still done what she wanted even after her father
beat him into a coma for trying to protect her.

�Sephiroth, is that true? Am I making you do something you
don�t like when we go out like this?� Zack was standing in front of Sephiroth
looking distressed and almost penitent while Sephiroth had one hand pressed to
his temple, pain in his eyes.

�I like spending time with you, and it is nice to see what
you�re like in a more social setting than usual. You...come alive when you�re
around a lot of people in a way you don�t when it�s just us. But...I really don�t
like the way people come after me if they�ve got an excuse. It isn�t so bad
when they�re your friends, and they greet me without fawning on me, but...most
people don�t act like that.�

�So...if we disguised you somehow you�d enjoy this more?�
Cloud wasn�t sure he liked the way this was going, but he didn�t interfere, he�d
already done enough to make Zack wonder about his relationship with Sephiroth
and he knew his lover still felt a bit ashamed of his needs.

�I hoped that just not wearing my uniform might help,�
Sephiroth lowered his hand, a vaguely helpless look on his face, �but...�

�It�s not different enough. And you�d have to hide your hair
for it to work.� Zack had a devious grin on his face as he paused. �Hey, we
could dye your hair, and go all the way and dress you up as a girl next time we
all go out together. That way Spike can treat you like his girl too, and it�ll
help that cover story you came up with.�

�Dye my hair, yes. But are you really crazy enough to think
I could pass for a woman?� Sephiroth sounded scornful as he raised a hand to
gesture at his eyes. �Even discounting how much brighter my eyes glow than even
those of the daughter of a SOLDIER 1st would, I�m too tall and my shoulders are
too broad to be mistaken for a woman.� Cloud really didn�t like the grin on
Zack�s face as he agreed to let the matter drop, but he�d also seen a hint of
longing in Sephiroth�s face when Zack had mentioned dressing up as a woman
would let Cloud treat him like his date in public, so he didn�t bother to try
and warn Zack off.

They didn�t have time for more than a couple more drinks
before Zack got impatient and uncomfortable, soft drinks for Cloud rather than
the alcoholic - and sometimes obscenely named - cocktails Zack insisted
Sephiroth drink with him.

�We�re not getting anything out of being here we wouldn�t
get back in my quarters, are we Sephiroth?�

�Not really, unless you count these overpriced concoctions.�
Sephiroth glanced at Cloud before he continued, asking and receiving permission
to continue in that exchange of glances. �And there�s things I want to do with
Cloud that we can�t do here.�

�Not unless you�ve got an exhibitionist streak. But I don�t.�
Of course there were things they could do without Cloud revealing himself, but
Sephiroth would have a problem with them because he preferred to focus on
pleasing Cloud.

�I...� Sephiroth blushed as he replied, Zack watching in
fascination. �if I do it is just a small one. Nothing like the other things I
enjoy.�

�I don�t want to know. Shall we agree to set off back
then?�

�You could stay back and join up with some of your friends
if you wanted to Zack.� Sephiroth made the suggestion casually as he stood up,
offering a hand to Cloud as an unthinking courtesy.

�No, think I�ll go visit my girl. She should know...�

�If you�re going to be serious about her, yes, she probably
should.� Sephiroth smiled at Zack as they split up, then focused his attention
on Cloud. �So, back to my quarters, or were you planning to put in an
appearance at your barracks?�

�Of course I�m coming back with you. Don�t be stupid. But
first...� They were passing a dark alley and Cloud pulled his lover into it,
looking around quickly before pressing his lover up against the wall, kissing
him and biting his neck lightly while he opened Sephiroth�s pants and reached
down to jerk him off.

�Cl-Cloud. Wait, what about you?� Cloud knew that Sephiroth�s
struggles weren�t serious, if they were he�d have thrown Cloud off easily, but
they did stop him kissing his lover�s throat.

�You like this, don�t you? Having me push you up against the
wall and have my way with you?�

�Y-yes, but-�

�But nothing. I want to do this now, then when we get
to your quarters you can focus on me the way I know you like to.� Sephiroth
stopped protesting at that, just relaxing and letting Cloud do what he wanted.
When he�d climaxed Cloud lifted his hand to Sephiroth�s mouth, letting him lick
the seed from it, and then collecting more from Sephiroth�s groin, repeating
until he was more or less clean before tucking his lover back into his pants
and fastening them up. He didn�t expect Sephiroth to fall to his knees when he
stepped back to give him room to move.

�Cloud, please, let me...� He was reaching for Cloud�s
groin, carefully, without actually touching him, waiting for permission. Cloud
glanced around to check for anyone who could see them, and it was pretty dark
here, and besides getting the hair would be the easy part, it was the
eyes that were unique and they�d be hidden while Sephiroth did this.

�Go ahead.� And Sephiroth�s mouth was warm and wet, and so
very desperate to please him. Cloud grabbed onto his hair and began taking
control of what was happening, thrusting hard into his lover�s mouth instead of
letting him take his time, since he was in a hurry, they didn�t have the sort
of privacy he�d like. From the moans he was making Sephiroth was enjoying this
a lot more than Cloud would have expected, the exposure, perhaps humiliation,
and the pure dominance Cloud was showing.

�Thank you.� Sephiroth sat back on his heels after tucking
Cloud away, looking up at him with a sleepy, satisfied expression in those
green, feline eyes of his.

�I think I should be thanking you.� Cloud stroked his lover�s
hair once, then reached a hand down to help him to his feet. Needed or not he
knew how much his lover appreciated those little courtesies, supporting the
illusion that Cloud was the stronger, as well as the more dominant. �We should
start on our way back. So, any preferences about the name I give �my girl� when
I tell my bunkmates about �her�?� He remembered the hints Sephiroth had given
him that he might like to pretend to be Cloud�s girl in public, the way he�d suggested
that Cloud use facts about Sephiroth to help the deception.

�I...not really.� Sephiroth accepted Cloud�s hand and rose
to his feet gracefully, keeping his head bowed while they were still in the
alley - although Cloud knew he�d have to play the cold General once people
could see them. �But...perhaps we should plan out what you �know� about her
when we get back to my quarters, and store it in a password-locked file on my
computer?�

�It would probably be safest there. How many people would be
willing to go into your rooms, then search your computer? And if I pick the
password...�

�Indeed. Despite our association I doubt anyone will have
done the necessary research into your background to work out the password very
easily.� Since they�d started walking Sephiroth had switched back to acting
like the General everyone was so in awe of. �And I believe I know sufficient
about programming to set the password to change after three failed attempts,
shutting the computer down as well.�

�So I�d need to set a secondary, possibly a tertiary
password you mean? This isn�t that important...but can you imagine how
frustrating it would be for them to get through all that and just find a mass
of notes on an imaginary girl?�

�And I could always say that was why it was on my computer,
as a diversionary target of little to no real importance, if the raid on my
computer comes from ShinRa sources.� Sephiroth had that faint smile on his face
that meant he�d be laughing out loud if he wasn�t so aware of his position.

o0()0o

Cloud figured he�d probably be better off reporting almost
first thing the day he was due, even if he didn�t strictly have to report
before 1700 and his friends had decided not to report until after lunch. That
way if there were any problems he�d have a lot more time to get them sorted
out. He�d packed all his gear the previous night, managing to get everything
but one training uniform and his dress uniform (which he kept in the supplied
garment bag, fastened to the backpack) into one backpack, albeit one almost as
big as he was, and delivering his other training uniforms back to supply. That
was the other reason he needed to report early, to make sure he�d have
time to pick up his new duty uniforms from supply. Duty uniforms were a
different colour to the training uniforms of cadets, even though they were the
same pattern.

According to his orders he could report to either the admin
sergeant or the quartermaster, since both of those functions were very much
desk jobs with standard times when they�d be available, and shared an office he
could report in to. So, shortly after one of those two sergeants would be
starting duty he found himself outside their office, pulling out his orders
before knocking on the door.

�Enter.� Cloud walked in and saluted the NCO sitting at the
desk. The double stripes of a sergeant told him it was the quartermaster -
unless he�d got someone else to fill in for him for some reason. He just
ignored the private sitting to one side, presumably to run messages.

�Private Strife reporting for duty sergeant.� Even before he�d
started his cadet class they�d all spent a month in the same basic training
that standard recruits got, and the sergeants in charge had all made it clear
that he wasn�t supposed to call them �sir�, they �work for a living�.

�At ease Strife.� Cloud slipped to his best approximation of
parade rest, SOLDIERs were almost �pretty boys�, expected to look good for the
public as well as fight, so he�d get a lot better at drill in future, but
cadets didn�t get any of that beyond what they had in the first month of basic.
�We don�t normally get new privates reporting this early.�

�Getting here early means I can get all the admin done by
lunchtime and spend the afternoon training with my squad - or at least that�s
what I hoped sergeant.�

�Well, let�s get you sorted out then.� He gave a slow smile
of approval as he reached for one of the files out on his desk. �Show me your
orders.� He scanned them quickly as Cloud handed them over. �Good. We can put
you wherever we need you. Sometimes we get a new guy with orders to go to a
specific squad. Third squad of B platoon doesn�t have a medic at the moment.
You�re with them.� He signed one of the forms from the file, handing it over to
Cloud. �Foster, show him to his squad�s barracks. You can get your new uniforms
from Supply, and report to Sergeant Redson at 1300, in the barracks. Read these
forms and have them back to me by 1200. Got it?�

�Yes Sergeant Grant.�

�Yes Sergeant Grant.� Cloud saluted at the same time as
Foster did, putting his forms and requisition away carefully in one of his
backpack�s side pockets, then he turned and waited for Foster to show him the
way.

�You�re the one who cast four Ice spells in the display
course aren�t you?�

�Yeah, but...it isn�t that special, is it?� Cloud was sure
that previous cadets had been able to do the same thing, just because he was
the only one in his class to find using materia the easiest part of the
course...

�Most of our materia users won�t pull out that many spells
in a day, let alone less than five minutes.� There had to be some sort
of mistake here; Cloud hadn�t had any problems using his Restore materia to
cast a Cure on Lavan and Kyu when they finished the course shortly after noon...that had
to be it.

�They probably use higher level spells, and I�m sure you
just don�t always see the effects during a battle; how they act outside a
battle can�t really be indicative.� Cloud wanted to wince at the scorn he�d
unconsciously put into his voice, but he wasn�t going to show weakness, the way
Foster did by not trying to refute his scorn, instead he found something else
to talk about. �Why did Sergeant Grant think I needed to know that the my squad
doesn�t have a medic?�

�I don�t know. I�m in A platoon, first squad. This is where
your squad bunks down. Think you can find it alright in future?�

�Yes.� He had been paying attention to where they
were going after all. �Thank you.� There were three unoccupied beds, but one of
those had an envelope addressed to him lying on top of it and another had a
small safe set beside it. He set his gear down by the bed with the envelope on
and opened it, reading the message inside. Apparently he was to study under the
four other platoon medics for two hours four days a week; Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday. That would make it harder to see Sephiroth, but the
message assured him that his sponsor had been informed of this arrangement, and
since they had a weekly leave day on Wednesday as long as they were in Midgar
it shouldn�t be a problem to set up some sort of schedule for meetings, barring
any unforeseen circumstances. He put the thought aside, and began packing his
gear away. Supply wouldn�t be open for another...hour, so he had time to get
organised and fill out the forms Sergeant Grant had given him. Hopefully the
training with his squad would be hard and long enough that he wouldn�t need
to train as much by himself as he normally did since he wouldn�t have the time
to do all his normal extracurricular training.

He dropped the forms into Sergeant Grant on his way to
supply, carrying his backpack to transport his new uniforms, then once he�d put
those away and returned his last training uniform he went for a run until
lunch.

When the rest of his squad got back Cloud was sitting on his
bed, and he quickly stood, finding the sergeant and saluting him while everyone
was picking things up from their lockers.

�Private Strife reporting for duty Sergeant Redson.�

�How�d a runt like you manage to get the General�s
sponsorship?�

�By being the first cadet not to drop out after two weeks of
sparring with either him or an instructor, sergeant.� Cloud knew that it was
possible for a SOLDIER 1st to refuse to sponsor the cadet he�d been focusing
on, but Sephiroth�s sense of duty was too strong to do that unless he had very
good cause, surely everyone knew that?

�You�re supposed to be good with materia. You�ll have a
chance to prove it this afternoon. You�re in team beta, under Corporal Sands. Team
obstacle course 2, now!� He raised his voice on the last sentence, and Cloud
followed the dark corporal indicated as the leader of his team to a training
ground outdoors, moving at a run to keep up with the rest of the squad. He
hated it that his team were the last ones through the obstacle course, even
though it had been inevitable that he�d hold them back since he wasn�t used to
working in a team like this and he didn�t have any practice with this sort of
obstacle course, but Corporal Sands didn�t seem too disappointed when he
checked their time.

�Just under an hour. Better than I expected. We took just
three minutes longer than team gamma,� which was one man down, �and nine
minutes longer than team alpha.� Not good enough, not at all, his team had
taken 20% longer than the best team to complete the obstacle course. �We never
manage to do better than taking 2 minutes longer than team alpha, unless they�re
slowed down by a new guy, and you didn�t slow us down anywhere like as much as
most former cadets would.� It was nice of him to say that and Cloud smiled at
the corporal as they ran to wherever they were supposed to be next.

�You don�t need to try to make me feel better sir. I�ll do
my best to improve until I�m not holding you all back.� Corporal Sands didn�t
have the chance to say anything in response to that since they reached the gym
that apparently was their destination.

�Pair up and start sparring. First one to win a spar can
start to spar against me, loser replacing the partner of the next one to win a
spar.� Apparently this was standard practice, since everyone else seemed to
know what that meant, Corporal Sands took pity on Cloud�s obvious confusion.

�Dylan, spar with Strife.� The other blond had longer hair
than usual and Cloud had wondered why almost a quarter of the squad had hair
longer than regs allowed. Apparently his curiosity was obvious.

�We�re allowed to grow our hair if we do well enough in the
SOLDIER Entrance Exams.� Well enough without actually being accepted for
SOLDIER, still, it meant he�d have more of a challenge...

Except that Cloud didn�t really get a challenge, even during
his week of leave he�d been sparring almost exclusively with SOLDIER 3rds at
least and he was the first to win his spar - nowhere near as fast as he�d won the spar
in the display course, but then he wasn�t ready to injure himself to win this
time. Sergeant Redstone was more of a challenge, but Cloud still found himself
switching off more than anyone else facing five opponents over the two hour
session.

�After this week you�ll be facing a SOLDIER 3rd in sparring,
the General set it up, and I see why now.�

Then they spent the last hour taking turns to cast as many
Ice, Fire or Bolt spells as they could using materia Sergeant Redstone gave
out, with the warning that Cloud would be expected to start assigning materia
for practice within the month.

Then when they got back to the barracks he tossed a key at
Cloud.

�Key to the squad materia safe. I expect you to equip one of
the materia whenever you go out hunting with your sponsor.� Should he?

�With Brigadier Knight sir, the General traded teaching his
sponsee to use materia better for taking me out hunting with him.�

�Sponsees, he�s taken on both our other newbies.�

o0()0o
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